Stephen A. Smith believes Clemson has reached a point where Dabo Swinney and the Tigers need to show they can respond.
That is part of the reason the ESPN personality isn’t ready to dismiss Clemson heading into Saturday night’s trip to LSU. While much of the attention has centered on Clemson being a sizable underdog, Smith sees the Tigers’ recent struggles as motivation that could make them dangerous in Baton Rouge.
“I can’t wait to talk to Dabo Swinney because I love that man,” Smith said. “I’ve known him for years. And he’s lost 14 games in the last three years. Let’s think about that. He’s lost 14 games in the last three years. He can complain about NIL and all of that stuff all you want to. But this is the game that you’re in and you’ve got
to adapt. And I’m not saying that he hasn’t made effort to adapt. But clearly he’s an old-school kind of guy that longs for the days of old, where you don’t have to deal with the nonsense that he’s had to deal with. You know, with the culture of today’s game, name, image, likeness, and all that’s come with it. Players having agents, players having the right to transfer. So in other words, you were comfortable when your side of the fence had all the power. And now that it’s called for an adjustment, he’s having a hard time to adjust. …”
Despite questioning how Swinney has handled the changing landscape of college football, Smith believes those circumstances could help create a more motivated Clemson team in Week 1.
“And I think that because of the urgency of the moment, with Clemson having lost 14 games over the last three years, they better be ready against LSU. I think he knows it, I think they know it, and I think that’s what could have Lane Kiffin and LSU on upset alert.”
Smith’s criticism of Swinney came with plenty of praise as well. He made it clear that he still has tremendous respect for Clemson’s head coach and believes Swinney possesses qualities that should translate particularly well to modern recruiting.
“Here’s what bothers me about that with Dabo Swinney, and I’ll tell him to his face when I see him,” Smith said. “He’s such a good man. He’s a damn good coach. He’s a champion. He’s a two-time national champion. He’s a damn good coach, OK, and a great guy. He really, really is, with a personality that really can ingratiate itself with the younger generation, if he was committed to it even more. And I’m not saying he doesn’t relate to his players, because I’m sure he does. But I’m talking about if he really embraced it.
“I mean, Dabo Swinney can talk to any kid in America and get them thinking twice about neglecting to come to Clemson. Because they will come for him because he’s that kind of affable kind of personality and he really knows what he’s doing. But you’ve got to want to do it. If they see that you’re not really into it, they’ll pick up on that right away, and that is the problem with Dabo Swinney.”
Joel Klatt makes final score prediction for Clemson vs LSU football
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) September 3, 2026
📸 Ken Ruinard, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co https://t.co/MA9JZrYD1s pic.twitter.com/UKFD8lQJVJ
Clemson will get an immediate opportunity to answer some of those questions. The Tigers enter Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC as 10.5-point underdogs, with the game also serving as Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU’s head coach.
Smith joined Evan Cohen on First Take in identifying LSU as a potential upset candidate. For Clemson, pulling it off would provide a much different start to a season that begins with the Tigers outside the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011.
Contact us at @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Stephen A. Smith expects an upset in Baton Rouge for Clemson vs. LSU
